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We have good news and we have bad news. The good news is that your story has made our second round, rarified company that more than 90% of submissions do not reach. While half or more of our second round stories will not ultimately see publication under the DSF rocket, this story has reached the final go/no-go before launch.

The bad news–and I promised you some bad news–is that it will take us time to make that final decision. Expect an additional two weeks or so, but don’t be surprised if it’s a month from today. Thanks for your continued patience, and thanks for sending us this worthy submission.

– Jonathan & Michele, Daily Science Fiction

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I’m hopeful that my flash fiction urban fantasy story will get published, but if not – hey, it made it 90% of the way. If there’s something I’ve learned through my freelance career as a writer, it’s this – celebrate every milestone! In something as amorphous as a writing career, it’s easy to feel disheartened by rejection, or the very long response times from editors. Keep at it, and live in hope that your stories will meet the light of day.

Over the weekend, I’ve realised that there are some AMAZING science-fiction and fantasy magazines out there. Here’s a Top Ten Science Fiction Magazines list to point you to the right direction. With my recent focus on writing non-fiction pieces, I’ve forgotten how fun it is to be immersed in the world of sci-fi/fantasy, and how enjoyable it is to write in that genre.

On the topic of writing for these SF mags, I read a funny and encouraging piece on Strange Horizons by Jed Hartman – Don’t just write one story. Check it out! His article encourages writers to keep writing and submitting to different magazines to increase the likelihood of publication. Sounds pretty obvious, right? In a sense, it is (teachers teach, writers write), but it’s easy to get bogged down while waiting for a response from one particular SF mag. Response times may vary from a few weeks at the very earliest to a few months. Plus, knowing that you’ve got several other stories sent out to different mags makes rejection a lot easier to handle. Don’t give up!

I need to make a spreadsheet of the different stories and articles I’ve sent out, and the estimated times the various editors will take to get back to me….